Archives For March 2010

I haven’t read the Nodame manga series, but I sure am waiting for the last two movies, because I loved the live action adaptation. Also, Juri Ueno is the perfect Nodame!

Anyway, I’ll let Kawaii Joyuu do the explaining~

Actress Aoi Yu (24) or at least her voice is going to appear in the second “Nodame Cantabile” movie that is opening soon. They announced today that she is going to dub the young Hungarian woman Jadwi. Jadwi’s actual name is Jadwiga, meaning “mysterious sleeping beauty” and is a popular character in the original manga. She becomes a close friend of Nodame (Ueno Juri) and therefore one of the key characters in the second movie. Both of them meet at the music school they attend in Paris. Jadwi can play the theremin, the first ever electronic music instrument in the world. Her unique character and unique instrument eventually helps Nodame enjoying music again, after she got separated from her beloved piano.

Jadwi has a very fluffy personality. Aoi actually would be the perfect actress for the role, even Ueno already noticed that. “She has a fairy-like, very mysterious aura surrounding her, almost like Aoi Yuu,” she said. There were plans to transform Aoi into a foreign girl with the help of make-up, but who knows how that would look like in the end. Now they have a French actress playing that role and Aoi dubbing her in Japanese. “There would be no better person for this,” Ueno commented after hearing that Aoi got confirmed for the voice cast.

I have often talked about Yu’s voice acting, and her different voices. She’s got her regular voice lower and sort of as-a-matter-of-fact, and then there’s also her sponsoring voice which is high and chirpy. But she’s also done a lot of cute voice, and you also know I prefer Yu when she’s not cute… even though I can’t deny that she’s cute, and that makes you smile nonetheless. This is why Juri’s remarks on Yu’s fairy-like qualities is fascinating.

Anyway, for those Yu Aoi fans that have not seen Nodame Cantabile – it’s just a blast. I mean, the first couple of episodes are something to get used to for the wacky and over-the-top qualities [mind you, I had just gotten into J-entertainment back then], but once you get into it, it’s so SO funny. Part of the funny behind the casting of Yu as the dubbing for a Hungarian character is hilariously and bluntly pointed out on the first Nodame Europe Special.

Now there’s more reason to watch Nodame Cantabile Movie 2! xD

I meant to post this sooner, but the version going round was the one on YouTube, which got me a region restriction [SUCKERS!]. Anyway, here’s the new material from Gorillaz which features none other than Bruce Willis.

I’ve never been a huge Gorillaz fan, but I gotta admit that they’re pretty visual. I don’t see this as more than a regular good looking video though.

I sure wish the song was about Chocolate, but it’s just a song how “our love” is like chocolate. However, the video is really cool with cookies and ingredients animated =D

I hope they didn’t just throw away all those cookies after the shoot.

I’m just gonna re-post what I wrote on Facebook xD

WOAHHHH, Stella Artois and The Auteurs are letting us watch 6 films for free. What’s better? They are 6 GREAT FILMS. Doesn’t get much better than that.

Polanski’s Repulsion this has been changed for
– Walkabout
– Russian Ark
– Lars Von Trier’s Europa
– Hirokazu Koreeda’s Daremo Shiranai (Nobody Knows)
– Tropical Malady
Hou Hsiao-hsien’s Three Times this has been changed for
– Faust

Just head over there, login and watch.

And remember… if you snooze, you lose.
I’d better watch Tropical Malady before it’s gone like Three Times. xD

Acerk made a great find last night, in case none of you had seen it. It’s a Making-of clip of Don’t Laugh at my Romance. The clip includes a Table Reading, which is the session where the cast, director, writers and producers (or other members of the crew) sit around a table to read the script out loud.

There’s also a brief Yoga session, which reminded me of my acting classes.

And Shugo and Yu are so funny.

x

You guys really REALLY need to work on what you call “Special Features”. It’s been a long time coming, but the review I sent to Amazon.com of Linda Linda Linda never showed up, even though I was reviewing the material in the DVD and even making suggestions… so it was a valid write-up.

Last time I bought something in Amazon.com, my order included a copy for the Viz Media release for Tetsuya Nakashima’s Kamikaze Girls (Shimotsuma Monogatari) and Linda Linda Linda by Nobuhiro Yamashita.

Where to start?

Continue Reading…

Just started this.

My Fake Criterion Collection

DGenerateFilms has translated an essay by director Jia Zhangke with some interesting ideas, as well as some others that I don’t particularly agree with… but maybe it’s one of those things lost in translation.

In a few years, young people throughout Asia will probably sing the same song, be attracted to the same clothes; girls will wear the same makeup and carry the same handbag. What kind of world is this turning into? It is precisely in this cultural environment that only independent films that remain committed to the depiction of local culture can provide some cultural diversity.

That’s an interesting statement, considering I have been talking about the exact opposite. I often talk how there will never be a “definite” 2000’s or 10-19’s list like we had in the 90s, because the internet has opened this gate with floods of information regarding anything… including music, films and overall entertainment. You don’t need to listen to what the record companies send to the radios, or watch what networks believe to be quality television or pay for a movie a distributor thinks you should be watching.

What the essay seems to be referring to is the vapid teenage kids who won’t bother researching and finding out about something that won’t be fed through distributors. I mean, you can’t even rely on what MySpace suggests any longer. LOL

Also… Amateur Cinema? With all the technology and all the quality cinematographers out there, even the most low-budget film can look okay. I’m sorry, but an image alone can speak a thousand words. That’s all I’m saying. I may be a “production value” girl, and I can appreciate costume, and art direction, but I also always give more importance to storyline and overall mood of the film. It shouldn’t matter if it’s “amateur” or a big-budget production.

Don’t give me Amateur Cinema, give me quality Independent Cinema.

I think the website that had the scans for the Boys Style So-En photoshoot is gone, so I took some of my late night hours, un-watermarked and cleaned up the images for re-posting.

Call it… Yu Aoi archiving purposes. LOL

Photos by Mie Morimoto, but you know~ It’s all about the style in this one, right?
Stylist: Junko Kobashi
Hair & Makeup: Takayuki Miyamori [who also did Yu as a Mori Girl]

Continue Reading…

The film is based on an award-winning novel written by rookie author and housewife Kanae Minato. Actress Takako Matsu (K-20, Villon’s Wife) plays a dedicated teacher at a junior high school who’s young daughter is found brutally murdered. Believing two of her own students are responsible, she decides to leave the school, but not before a final chilling confession to her class in which she informs them that she’s already enacted her plan for vengeance.

Watch the trailer via Nippon Cinema.